More Nissan vs. Porsche news
 

Nissan is out to get Porsche again.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4053722

for those that dont wanna go to the link enjoy the long read here:

The Los Angeles Auto Show will be a big event again this year, as many carmakers have model reveals planned. None are more central to the carmaker's brand image than the upcoming Z-car launch expected from Nissan in the form of the all-new 370Z. The latest reports indicate that the company is eying the Porsche Cayman with its new sleeker design and up-rated power, just as its bigger brother the GT-R has taken on the 911 Turbo.
Controversy over the GT-R's rivalry with Porsche's top-of-the-line hardware has arisen just today, with Porsche accusing Nissan of falsifying its Nurburgring lap times. The 370Z's assault on the Cayman's position is likely to be as fraught with tension as the significantly cheaper Japanese car's styling and performance are - for some - approaching those of the established German builder.

The new 370Z, as the car is expected to be called thanks to its 3.7L VQ-derived engine, will feature a significant boost in horsepower over the 306hp (228kW) 3.5L unit in the current 350Z. The same 3.7L engine is rated at 328hp (245kW) and 270lb-ft (366Nm) of torque in the Infiniti G37, and the Z cars have a history of getting the most highly-tuned versions of the shared engine, so up to 350hp (261kW) could realistically be on the table.

Weight loss is also expected to feature significantly in the next-gen Z-car, the better to improve transitional response, acceleration and braking - all of which Nissan thinks will push it into the arena of Porsche Cayman performance, reports Automotive News.

"When we launched the current Z in 2002, it was a symbol of Nissan's revival, a kind of brand symbol, plus driving performance," said Tetsuo Shimada, Nissan's head of marketing in Japan. "This time with the 370Z, we are focusing more on the driving performance, as a pure driving sports car."

Whether the car will be able to live up to such lofty goals, given the nearly $20,000 price deficit between the 350Z and the Cayman is a question that only the trials of the marketplace will bear out. Nissan is also reportedly targeting the Audi TT.

The all-new 370Z is expected to begin hitting the streets of Japan in late December, with an early 2009 sales launch for the U.S. and the rest of the world.



http://www.motorauthority.com/....html

Having owned a 350Z, I could rest assuredly say it's one of the worst built 30K+ cars ive ever seen. Hopefully the 370Z copies Porsche quality and not just performance. I'm def interested, and they've proven they could do it before with the GTR.

Im happy to see Nissan finally really open up the Z and cut its weight down. I think it will be a fun car but against the Cayman? Who knows.

Yea it's hard to replace a mid-engine layout.

And we'll see if it actually is cut down in weight...how they described the new Z back in 01/02 was completely contra what the 350Z became. Never doubt Nissan's ability to drop the ball.

i saw it this way, atleast there setting their goals high, although will they get there, who knows.
if the 370z beats the cayman on the "ring" again like the gtr vs the 911T, are they gonna say nissan cheated with this car as well?

I'm not even sure what the Cayman got on the Ring, but you're implying that Porsche is the only company that thinks it's false...and they are not.

Either way it won't beat the Cayman or the S model.

It could possibly beat the Cayman if they pull out all stops...S...oi, dunno there. Especially since it's set to get more HP.

Around the 'Ring i doubt it!

Fighting over a Hamburger is like the special olympics... something something, still retarded, something...

who are you anyway?

"Wait, you just can't climb in the ring with Porsche 'cause you think you box!"

"nissan knows they can box"

lol

troof..350z was the WORST "performance" car nissan has ever put out. being a huge z fan i was highly disappointed when that audi tt look a like came out. hopefully they come back into the performance ring with the new z..im not going to hold my breath though.

haha, I was waiting to see how long it took for someone to catch on

obviously, it was not specified for victory

And clearly once it's Specified for such Victory, you're good to ****ing go. Really, the tranny in the Spec V is 50000000x better than the one in the 350Z. Shame and a half.

that trans is builet proof. i accidently mis shifted into 2nd from 5th when i was going for 4th one night and shot the tach to like 8 grand, didnt phase it at all. i know some trans, one big mis shift like that and hello rebuild

And it's quick. The Z's is not, not even close. It's amazing that they could put a trans that good in a Sentra, and then completely miss the boat with their sports car.

maybe im just naive but im really excited to see what the next generation in Z car will bring. Then again I am a Z32 owner so i may be a bit partial.